Contact Country

Contact Organization

Location Preference

End Date

Job Number

608

Job Title

Integrated Pest Management Entomology Advisor

Job Category

Extension, Field Scientist, Other

Field Of Study

Entomology

Job Details

BACKGROUND: The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), a statewide program with local development and delivery, is seeking an academic advisor to conduct a multi-county-based extension, education and applied research program. The main focus of this position is the development and implementation of IPM practices related to entomology issues in nuts, fruits, and vines primarily in the San Joaquin Valley. The candidate should be able to develop and integrate all aspects of an IPM program to promote sustainability, profitability, food safety, and environmental stewardship.
Kearney Agricultural and Research Center, the headquarters for this position, is located in Fresno County in the southern portion of the Great Central Valley of California. The San Joaquin Valley is home to pistachios, almonds, walnuts, stone fruits and grape production. The primary counties where activity is expected to occur include Kern, Tulare, Kings, Fresno, Madera, Merced and Stanislaus Counties.
Please refer to the following website for more information regarding UC Statewide IPM Program: www.ipm.ucdavis.edu

NATURE AND PURPOSE: Working primarily with local Farm Advisors, Pest Control Advisers and IPM professionals in the San Joaquin Valley, the Advisor will provide leadership in promoting IPM through research, training and extension activities.

The IPM Advisor will conduct applied field and lab research designed to manage insect pests using practices that protect the ecosystem. Key to the position is the development of extension outreach methodologies that lead to adoption of practices which reduce the risk of pests and pest management practices to the farmer, the food supply, people and the environment.

The IPM Advisor will be supported by the UC IPM Program through interactions with other IPM Advisors, professional staff and outreach networks. The Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center will provide office space, lab space and experimental land; and other UC Research and Extension Centers in the area are available as well. Local CE County Offices provide additional meeting locations, and CE personnel offer opportunities for mentoring, collaboration, and extension expertise.

This position addresses the intensity and scope of permanent crop agriculture (tree/vine) and the unique environmental issues and increased urban interface with agriculture. The Advisor will operate in an area with a wide variety of stone fruits (nectarines, peaches, plums), nut crops (almonds, pistachios, walnuts) and grapes (table, wine and raisin).

In many of these crops, arthropods play a key role in the composition of existing IPM systems. IPM programs in these critical food systems are dynamic and require continual review and revision, due to:
• threats from invasive and endemic pests
• changes in production practices, market demands, and market access
• shifts in pest control products and resistance management
• increased regulation due to risks posed by pest and pest management activities to human and environmental health
• export markets requiring mitigation of pests to meet phytosanitary laws, but which can disrupt existing IPM

It is also important to engage nonagricultural audiences to increase understanding of the complexity of managing pests while maintaining food security and safety.

Extension:
The advisor will work with a diverse group of colleagues, clientele, and County advisors to provide local leadership and expertise in planning and developing educational programs to local clientele through office and phone consultations. The advisor will work with local agencies to provide outreach on critical issues associated with their responsibilities.
The individual will manage an ongoing extension education program utilizing outreach methods which will include individual consultations, field days, tours, meetings, web conferences, ANR publications, peer-reviewed journals, and an appropriate mix of contemporary and emerging electronic tools such as online learning, web content systems and repositories, social media, impact and evaluation tools, along with specialized and public media outlets.

Research:
Research will revolve around the needs outlined above and as determined through ongoing needs assessments to identify and address arthropod pest management issues in collaboration with campus and county colleagues in entomology and affected crops. The IPM Advisor is linked to the Statewide IPM Program and will provide support to develop, review and promote ANR IPM guidelines and practices.
The academic in this position will be expected to interact with UC ANR Program Teams, Specialists, Advisors, and others within the research/extension network to develop, strengthen and expand the local delivery of statewide programs.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Conduct and report regular needs assessments to identify priority issues or problems relevant to the local clientele groups being served.
• Develop and implement effective UC ANR Cooperative Extension applied research and educational programs to address the identified priority needs of the clientele that are consistent with ANR’s Strategic Vision and ANR initiatives http://ucanr.edu/files/906.pdf.
• Conduct applied research designed to monitor changes and solve locally relevant problems.
• Disseminate useful, science-based information to inform clientele, using extension methods that are responsive to clientele needs and appropriate for the audience and situation.
• Maintain and promote Cooperative Extension’s credibility by providing science-based knowledge and skills independent of personal or parochial interests.
• Evaluate programs and report accomplishments, results, and potential or actual impacts to scientific and lay audiences.
• Develop collaborative teams with other UC ANR academics, campus-based specialists and faculty and/or others, to address priority issues for UC ANR.

Job Requirements

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A minimum of a Master’s degree in Entomology or Integrated Pest Management is required, though more advanced degrees in these disciplines are encouraged. An educational background and/or work experience in pest management crop production and plant health is preferred. A demonstrated ability in applied agricultural research and extension of information is desirable. Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills are required. Extension experience is desirable.

The IPM Entomology Advisor must obtain a California Pesticide Applicator Certificate or License prior to applying or supervising any pesticide application.

Job Materials

HOW TO APPLY: To be considered, applicants must electronically submit the following four components of the Application Packet to ANRacademicsearch@ucop.edu:

1. Cover Letter

2. ANR Academic Application Form— from the ANR website at: http://ucanr.edu/academicapplication [Please include a list of potential references. If you are selected for an interview, the search committee will contact the references you listed on the UC ANR application form (a minimum of four (4) and a maximum of six (6) names, current addresses, phone numbers and email addresses). Please do not send letters of reference.]